Ames Racquet and Fitness to build new facility

Ames Racquet and Fitness to build new facility.

Ames Racquet and Fitness plans to build a state-of-the art workout facility near the Iowa State University Research Park with its existing facility on 17th Street being sold to a local church.

The membership-based fitness club will break ground on the 52,000 square-foot facility near the ISU Research Park around late November and early December, with an estimated completion date of early 2017.

According to General Manager Tom Durkin, the new venue will be a chance to be a part of all of the exciting growth and development taking place at the ISU Research Park.

“Fitness has changed a lot over the years, and we just think that the research park is an area that is really growing and would be a good fit for us,” Durkin said. “We think it’s a great environment, and the park is bringing in a lot of wonderful businesses to Ames, and we want to be a part of that growth.”

The new facility is set to feature a 150-meter indoor track, new strength and conditioning equipment, sauna, steam room, and a nursery/kids’ gym. Along with that, there will also be space dedicated specifically for yoga, spinning, personal training, group fitness, massage therapy and fitness workshops. The only minor difference is that the new facility will not feature tennis or racquetball courts.

“It’s going to be more fitness oriented, rather than sports oriented,” Durkin said.

The old facility on South 17th Street was purchased by Harvest Vineyard Church, which will relocate from its current location on South High Street into the the South 17th Street location upon completion of the new ARFC facility. Until then, Durkin said nothing will change for members who use any of the three ARFC locations.

While some may be disappointed the new facility won’t have tennis or racquet ball courts, Durkin said the church has decided to keep the courts at the South 17th Street facility so members of the Ames community can continue to play.

“All three locations will be operational through 2016, there will be no changes whatsoever,” Durkin said.

ISU Research Park Marketing Coordinator Alison Doyle said that having a new ARFC will be a major positive for the park, and one that it welcomes with open arms.

“The thing that we’re most thrilled about is that this is a well-established Ames business that’s making a commitment to grow in the research park, and this was an amenity that was very high up on the wish-list of our tenants,” Doyle said. “We’re hopeful that there will be more where this came from.”

Attempts to reach representatives from Harvest Vineyard Church late Friday were unsuccessful.

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